The ETENA Idea Marathon: Empowering Tourism Innovators in Egypt

Empowering aspiring entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions for travel and tourism in Egypt

Launched by TUI Care Foundation and enpact, the Empowering Tourism Ecosystems in North Africa (ETENA) programme focuses on supporting 100 aspiring entrepreneurs and 10 startup founders in tourism and tourism supply chains across Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, providing them with tailored business development support and financial backing opportunities through four phases of key activities: Idea Marathon, 2-month Pre-incubator, 6-month Incubator, and a regional 3-month Accelerator.

In its Ideation phase, the ETENA programme aims to empower 25 teams of future entrepreneurs who have digital ideas in tourism in Egypt with tailored business development support. The purpose is to help them develop concepts for innovative solutions that can promote local experiences, drive job creation, and by extension, create inclusive social impact.

Stage 1: Idea Marathon

Through a nationwide open call for applications, 25 teams will be selected to join the ETENA Idea Marathon and receive training and resources to facilitate rapid ideation.

Stage 2: Pre-incubation

Through the ETENA Idea Marathon, 12 teams will be selected to receive two months of training, access to workstations and comprehensive support to conceptualise and prototype their ideas.

By the conclusion of Stage 2, ETENA’s 6-month incubator will launch with 4 teams, each receiving access to tailored training, dedicated mentoring, and direct financial support of 500 Euros per month, along with permanent access to workstations at the enpact hub in Zamalek.

When applying to join the business incubator, the teams participating in the second phase will be subject to specific selection criteria. These teams must demonstrate significant progress in developing their prototypes and present solutions to the challenges announced within the programme’s framework.

25 ideas - One challenge

Digital Transformation for Enhanced Tourist Engagement — Leverage emerging technologies to create personalised travel experiences. From seamless planning to interactive on-site adventures, your innovation can engage tourists while empowering local businesses operating in Egypt’s tourism and tourism supply chains.

The challenges were identified by relevant experts and stakeholders in the Egyptian travel and tourism sector.

Download this document for more details about the challenge and eligibility criteria for your idea

The call for applications is now closed.

How does ETENA support you?

Nationwide competition

Be part of a cohort of +20 teams joining the ETENA Marathon where you can connect with industry experts, peer entrepreneurs, and relevant stakeholders.

Conceptualisation & pitch training

Receive the extra help you need in a two-day training to translate your innovative idea into a viable business concept and learn how to pitch it perfectly.

Networking events

Access a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors and regional ecosystem experts in tourism where you can exchange insights and find areas for growth.

Pre-incubation opportunity

Pitch your idea to industry experts for a chance to prototype your solution through two months of intensive business development training and dedicated mentoring.

Fixed workstations

The ETENA participants will have access to physical workspaces at the enpact hub in Zamalek with full amenities throughout the programme’s duration.

Financial support opportunity

Each team in the ETENA incubator receives 500 Euros per month, enabling them to focus their time and energy on developing their MVPs.

ETENA’s Ideation & Pre-incubation Timeline

5 April 2025

Call for applications launch

20 April 2025

Applications close. Selection process starts

10 May 2025

Idea marathon (25 teams)

May & June

2-month pre-incubation (12 teams)

July 2025

Pitch day

Meet the ETENA Idea Competition Winners!

Through the idea competition, 12 teams of tourism entrepreneurs were selected to start their journey with the ETENA Pre-incubator in May 2025. Get to know them:

Darb by Fatma Ibrahim

Darb is a women-led sustainable tourism initiative connecting indigenous communities with conscious travellers. It offers eco-travel experiences rooted in cultural heritage and environmental stewardship, promoting economic opportunities and cross-cultural understanding.

GreenAlpha by Kareem Rashwan

GreenAlpha solution integrates sustainability education with Egyptian cultural heritage for Generation Alpha. It offers a gamified app, along with origami toolkits to teach children about sustainability while showcasing Egypt’s cultural history.

Gowell by Shadi Naguib

Gowell is a service solution that helps patients seeking medical procedures in Egypt. The platform provides consultations, recommends trusted clinics, and organises travel and recovery experiences for medical tourists.

Hayat Balady by Maged Magdy

A digital platform connecting tourists with rural Egyptian communities. It offers immersive rural tourism experiences, including homestays, local crafts, and natural explorations, while contributing to community development.

InnoAccess by Ahmed Hossam
InnoAccess is an app designed to support inclusive tourism for visually impaired travellers, offering a directory of accessible hotels, tourist sites, and support services. The app connects users with qualified service providers and helps improve accessibility infrastructure.

Judur by Marwan Magdy

Judur is an app connecting tourists with local communities in rural areas, offering tours, cooking classes, and handmade products. It promotes local culture and sustainable tourism while supporting small businesses.

Kemetra by Abdulrahman Sayed

Kemetra is a virtual assistant app for independent travellers visiting Egypt. It provides pre-arrival assistance, transportation guidance, personalised recommendations, local experiences, and live support for tourists.

Lokalies by Saleem Saleem

Lokalies is a travel agency offering budget-friendly and adventurous travel experiences in Egypt, focusing on unique local experiences away from traditional tourism routes and aiming to reduce scams in the tourism sector.

Marakby by Ahmed Bastawi

An AI-powered boat rental app that personalises recommendations, lets users preview boats in 3D, optimises pricing and routes, and includes smart safety features and trip planners for various activities.

Masr360 by Ziad Omar

Masr360 is a digital platform offering a smart and interactive tourism experience in Egypt, serving as a personal travel assistant for tourists. It provides curated travel guides, interactive maps, and real-time recommendations based on location, interests, and time of day.

Met Native by Hend Mostafa

Met Native is a digital platform for rural tourism in Egypt, connecting tourists with authentic local experiences, eco-lodging, and hands-on workshops with artisans. The platform supports sustainable tourism and highlights local products.

Yahki by Rama Ghith

Yahki is an app that tells the stories of indigenous people, craftspeople, and medical tourism sites in Egypt, using creative and historical methods to promote cultural and medical tourism.

Start your journey today

Deadline: 9 March 2025

Apply now

Program partners

The programme was developed and is being implemented by enpact Stiftung. It is powered and supported by TUI Care Foundation, within the framework of TUI Care Foundation’s Empowering Communities Initiative.